the monsters turned out to be just trees

hope keeps us breathing, just to kill us in the end

"Creation?" Remi prompted, blinking in confusion at the summoner. "Making..clothes?" Of course the alchemist assumed Loren's creation magic was advanced enough for that, not realizing that it wasn't.

With a boyish smile, Remi nodded. "You saw how large I am. Or..can be." He added with a mild shrug. After all, standing nearly a meter and a half at the shoulder, Remi was more than just tall; he was massive. Ronin had risen him easily, no innuendo intended. "I can carry Astra too, in my paws. If you tell her I mean her no harm, and not to struggle too much." Being in the paws of a predator would be far too much for the young fawn without her companion's reassurance that it was okay. Either way, he'd either fly slow enough for Astra to keep up, or with Loren's help, would simply take them both.

Retreating a few steps to give himself room, the alchemist performed what was his least elegant shift. Going from a relatively regular sized man to a monstrous beast was difficult to do in any attractive way. Still, features shifted and molded and eventually the manticore stood before both man and best.